Listen to audio from this event below. Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered her second “State of the State” address on Wednesday, January 29 th . She called for $3.5 billion in new bonds to fix Michigan's crumbling roads, and new initiatives in health care, early childhood education and more.

Issues & Ale traveled to the west side of the state on Monday, July 23 for an informative discussion covering the concerns about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that many communities there share. On a beautiful summer day on the patio at Perrin Brewing Company, host Lester Graham and a panel of experts shared the science and history behind PFAS contamination in Michigan, as well as some advice for nervous residents. The panel for the evening included: Garret Ellison - Ellison is

Michigan’s wavering spring weather was in our favor this week as Issues & Ale took the discussion outside for the first time this year. Our panelists and listeners joined us on the patio of J.B.’s Smokehouse in Canton for a discussion on the state of child care in Michigan. Michigan Radio’s Doug Tribou hosted the discussion, bringing his own experience as a father of two young girls who has encountered these issues firsthand. Doug was joined by fellow parents and experts in children’s

Hosts of Michigan Radio’s That’s What They Say , Rebecca Kruth and Anne Curzan, took over the latest Issues and Ale event in Grand Rapids to discuss an ever important issue to many public radio listeners: language and grammar! The pair led our audience in an educational, enlightening, and often hilarious conversation about everything from the newest slang, to the impact of texting on language, to the ever-controversial, Oxford comma. Quite a few current and former English teachers, folks who

The Issues & Ale series was glad to provide a special presentation on March 7 th featuring a visit from our colleagues from the BBC Newhour staff from London. Michigan Radio and BBC fans flocked to The Rust Belt Market in Ferndale to join in a thought-provoking conversation about international and U.S. politics with our panel. Our own Lester Graham hosted the discussion while our visiting guest speakers included... Tim Franks - BBC Newshour host/presenter Jo Floto - BBC Newshour, editor The

Gearing up for the State of the State Address on Feb. 12, our Issues & Ale crew gathered Monday, Feb. 4, at Brewery Becker in Brighton to talk about the new administration in Lansing. Over 100 politically engaged listeners packed into the venue for the entertaining night of local and national politics.

Michigan Radio’s Issues & Ale discussion series traveled to Toledo Monday night for the station’s first event of this kind in Ohio. The event took place at Black Cloister Brewing Company and focused on Lake Erie’s toxic cyanobacteria blooms and the safety of Toledo’s water.

Issues & Ale: Seeing Green in Lake Erie Mon, August 20, 6:30-8:00 PM Black Cloister Brewing Company 619 Monroe St, Toledo, OH 43604 In the summer of 2014, toxic bacteria in Lake Erie forced some 400,000 people in the Toledo area (including several communities in southeast Michigan) to stop bathing in or drinking their tap water. Although the past few years have not been as bad, farm runoff and other factors have led to toxic cyanobacteria blooms in western Lake Erie every summer since then.

Michigan Radio’s Issues & Ale team hit the road again Wednesday night. This time, they stopped at Fillmore 13 Brewery in Pontiac to talk about the future of regional mass transit.

Wed, May 9, 6:30 - 8 p.m. Fillmore 13 Brewery 7 N. Saginaw St Pontiac, MI 48342 Transit in Southeast Michigan has again surfaced as a major issue as area leaders have been unable to agree on a regional transit plan. Should Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties all work together to develop rapid bus transit lines and commuter rail, or should car dependent areas focus on maintaining or expanding their network of roads? Join Jack Lessenberry us as he talks with local experts about the